Toothbrush



TOOTHBRUSH U Filed July 29. 19:50

Inveritbm ///'S Atbor'ne Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES LEO LEVY, F KAI SERS LAUTERN, GERMANY 'roomnusn Application filed July- 29, 1930,. Serial No. 471.489, and in Germany August 26, 1929."

In tooth-brushes made of a material liable to be molded when submitted to heat, such as celluloid or similar natural or artificial products of that type the bundles of bristles are i usually stamped or anchored in the material of the head of the brush. However this method of attaching the bristles is objectionable in that the head of the brush upon its heating in hot water for cleaning purposes will yield and the anchoring be opened, whereby the bristles will be detached and the anchorlng opened more and more with the result that the brush will be soon 'useless. Moreover the detaching of-the bristles during the use of the brush may easily produce accidents prejudicial to the health of the user.

Therefore attempts have been made for avoiding these ob ections by tightening each bundle of bristles in a metal sleeve glued, cemented, screwed or otherwise suitabl secured in the material of the head of the rush. In this way the bristle retaining anchor is housed within a metal part which is less subject to distortions by the action of heat. This method of attaching the bundles has the advantage that the bristles cannot be easily detached, but it is objectionable in that the metal sleeves cannot be securely attached in the body of the brush.

A further objection is that the sleeves require much space so that a small number of bundles only can be mounted in a s ace corresponding to the head surface 0 a usual toothbrush. Therefore the heads of the brushes must belimited to certain shapes as well as the arrangements of the bristles. Moreover the cementing or screwing of each individual sleeve as well as the securing of each individual bundle in the corresponding sleeve require much time and increase the cost of manufacturing. Heretofore it was not yet possible to prevent the metal sleeve parts from projecting from the brush heads, whereby such parts will be subject to alterations by their contact with saliva and denti-' frice. 1

All these objections will be avoided by my present invention owing to the fact that one or more metal plates are embedded in any housing and known way in the moldable material of the head of the brush, said plates serving to attach the various bundles of bristles, whereby the attaching means of the bristles ma be inserted simultaneously in the plate or p ates u and the material of the brush itself. The location of the bundles and attaching means thereof may thus be effected by the usual automatic machines used in the manufacture of brushes, whereby the manufacture will be no simplified and a great deal of work saved.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated by way of example three preferred embodiments of my invention. In these drawings: r

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the tooth-brush.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of Fig. 1. v

Fig. 4 shows atooth-brush having a're-in- 7o forced handle.

Fig. 5 shows a tooth-brush with a plurality of metal plates for attaching the bristles.

Completely embedded in the head of the brush a, made of celluloid or other plastic 7:, material is a plate 0 of soft metal. Said plate is solid and the bundles of bristles are inserted into the same with their attachin means by the .usual' automatic machine a er the plate has been secured in the material of the so head a.

In the finished brush, that is after the insertion and securing of the bundles of bristles in the plate 0 and head a said plate will therefore have holes d corresponding to the vas5 rious bundles of bristles. Each hole (1 in the plate 0 corresponds to a hole 6 in the head a on the side turned towards the bristles. The metal anchors f inserted into the holes d and e are firmly stamped in said holes, whereby 00 said anchors will be held in the metal plate as well as in the head a of the brush.

The metal anchors 7 may also be shaped in such a way that they will be arranged not only above the plate a but also below said plate.

Theshape of the plate 0 corresponds to the shape of the brush in such away that said plate will be surrounded on-all sides by the material of the head of the brush (Fig. 2).

'As shown in 4 the metal plate 0 may serve to reinforce the handle 6 o the brush, said plate being extended through said handle.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 I'- have provided two metal plates 0 and 0"- As already described, the brush may be manufactured in the usual machines after the in sertion of the metal plate or plates into the head of the brush or into the later and the handle thereof respectively, whilst for the usual brushes with sleeves or sockets for the reception of the bundles of bristles particular devices and complicated manipulations were required.

Having now fully described my said invention, \Vllfit- Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A tooth-brush comprising a metal plate completely embedded in the material forming the head of the brush, and tufts of bristles inserted through one side of the head and anchored in the said metal plate. 7

2. A tooth-brush comprising a strip of soft metal, completely embedded in the material forming the brush, and extending in the head and handle thereof, and tufts of bristles inserted through one side of the head and anchored into the portion of said strip of soft metal extending through the head.

3. A tooth-brush made of a moldable material and comprising a plate of soft metal embedded in the head of thebrush, and ferruled tufts of bristles provided with a metal anchor inserted through one side of the head, and anchored into said soft metal plate and into the material forming said head.

DR. LEO LEVY. 

